Current-discharge-distributing system.



J. P. JULEY.

CURRENT DISCHARGE DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1913.

Patented May 19, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH P. JULEY, 01E JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB- TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CURRENT-DISCHARGE-DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 11, 1913.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. Junnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Current-Discharge-Distributing Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise and exact description.

This invention relates to a system of electrical distribution comprising several current sources of substantially the same voltage which supply various current discharge circuits of different voltages, the current sources being connected in series to supply the different discharge voltages. The system embodies a switching arrangement by means of which the various current discharge circuits can'be rapidly switched from one current source to another, so as to equalize the drain in the current sources.

It is an object of the invention to provide a switching arrangement by means of which a current. discharge circuit of large amperage is completed or interrupted in sections or parts by the operation of a single switch, so that the maximum amperage completed or interrupted at any set of switch contacts is considerablyless than the total current flowing in the main discharge circuit, and by means of which sparking at the contacts is greatly reduced. Switching arrangements of this general type are useful in the operation of large telegraph offices. Telegraph lines which vary considerably in length and likewise in electrical characteristics terminate in an office of this kind. These physical differences in the telegraph lines require a corresponding change in the operating voltage for a successful operation of the lines. F our voltages are usually suificient to meet the various operating requirements. The office is generally equipped with a common battery which is tapped at various points according to the voltage requirements, and consequently a switching arrangement which will equalize the drain on the individual cells and also prevent excessive sparking in the switching operation, becomes essential. The purpose of the here in described system is to successfully meet these requirements and may obviously be Patented May 19, 1914.

Serial No. 800,345.

used for similar purposes in a telephone sys tem and in any other systems where a switching of connections is desirable.

Other objects of this invention will be described more particularly in the following specification, and will be indicated in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing which illus trates the invention, is a schematic plan view of the electrical connections, conducting bars and brushes.

The distributing system as shown has four different positions, 1, 2, 8 and 4;. Each position has an equal number of like contact members difierently arranged in the various positions. These contact members and five collecting bars 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, are all mounted on a plane or a cylindrical surface in a fixed relation to one another. This surface is capable of motion by means of which the contact members may be brought into electrical contact with the stationary brush pairs 5, 6, 7 and 8 connected to the current sources 11, 12, 13 and 14: respectively, and the collecting bars 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 will be connected, respectively, to brushes 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 that lead to the discharge circuits.

There are four distinctly separated discharge circuits wired to the brushes 24, 25, 26 and 27 with brush 28 for a common return. These discharge brushes are fed by the current sources 11, 12, 13 and 14:. The discharge circuits are each furnished with current of a different potential. The brush 27 receives current at the lowest potential, brush 26 next, brush 25 next, and brush 24; receives current at the potential of the combined current sources. Brush 27 is fed by one current source, brush 26 by two sources in series, brush 25 by three in series and brush 2 1 by four in series. It, therefore, follows that the current source connected to brush 27 is feeding four discharge circuits, and hence the current flowing in the contact members and connections of this circuit is the largest as it serves as a path for the current of the four discharge circuits in parallel.

The current flowing in the conducting circuit feeding brush 26 is somewhat smaller as it serves but three discharge circuits in parallel, that flowing in the conducting circuit feeding brush 25 is still smaller, serving but two discharge circuits in parallel, and that flowing in the conducting circuit feeding brush 24 is the smallest as it serves but one discharge circuit. The common return contact members and collecting bar likewise carry the maximum amount of current as they serve all the discharge circuits in parallel.

Since the size of the spark generated at the contacts of an interrupted circuit depends upon the current flowing in said circuit, it follows that in order to reduce the spark to a minimum in the circuits described, the circuits should be interrupted one at a time and in such sequence that the one carrying the least amount of current is interrupted first. This object is obtained by the use of contact members or bars of different lengths. Thus, when the bars are moved so as to pass under the brushes, the longest contact bars 30, 31 and 32 are connected first, 33 and 34 of shorter length are connected second, 35 and 36 of still shorter length third, and 37, the shortest bar, is connected last. The contact bars are all disconnected in the inverse order as they are mounted so that they have a common center line. It is consequently evident that the circuit carrying the current for only one dis charge circuit is interrupted first. The circuit in parallel with the interrupted circuit and feeding the second discharge circuitis interrupted second. The circuit in parallel with the two circuits interrupted for feeding a third discharge circuit is interrupted third, and the circuit in parallel with the three interrupted circuits and feeding the fourth discharge circuit is interrupted last. Thus but a fraction of the current flowing in the main discharge circuit is interrupted at each conducting bar, and hence sparking is greatly reduced.

Due to the parallel arrangement of the current sources 11, 12, 13 and 14 in connection with the discharge circuits, these will be subjected to an unequal drain. Thus in position 1, source 11 will feed all four discharge circuits, and 14 will feed but one circuit. This would be a decided disadvantage especially when battery is used. In order to obviate this difliculty, it is advisable to connect the various sources to the various discharge circuits in sequence so that each will receive an approximately equal discharge. Thus in position 1, battery 14 carries a minimum load as it is contained in but one discharge circuit. This circuit is traceable from brush 24, collecting bar 17, conducting bar 37, lower brush 8, battery 14, upper brush 8, contact bars 36 and 35, lower brush 7, battery 13, upper brush 7, contact bars 34 and 33, lower brush 6, battery 12, upper brush 6, conducting bars 32 and 31, lower brush 5, battery 11, upper brush 5, contact bars 30, wire 40, collecting bar. 21 and brush 28 and thence through the discharge circuit back to brush 24. Battery 13 is contained in the circuit ust traced and is likewise contained in a second discharge circuit traceable from brush 25, collecting bar 18, contact bars 35, contact bars 36 and 35, lower brush 7, battery 13, upper brush 7, contact bars 34 and 33, lower brush 6, battery 12, upper brush 6, contact bars 32 and 31, lower brush 5, battery 11, upper brush 5, contact bars 30, wire 40, collecting bar 21, brush 28 through the discharge circuit back to brush 25. Battery 12 is contained in the two circuits just traced and is likewise contained in a third discharge circuit traceable from brush 26, collecting bar 19, contact bar 33, wire 41, contact bars 34 and33, wire 42, contact bars and 33, lower brush 6, battery 12, upper brush 6, contact bars 32 and 31, lower brush 5, battery 11, upper brush 5, contact bars 30, wire 40, collecting bar 21, brush 28 through the discharge circuit and back to brush 26. Battery 11 is contained in the th "ee circuits traced and likewise in a fourth circuit traceable from brush 27, collecting bar 20, contact bar 31", wire 43, contact bars 32 and 31", wire 44, contact bars 32, and 31, wire 45, contact bars 32 and 31, lower brush 5, battery 11, upper brush 5, contact bars 30, wire 40, collecting bar 21, brush 28, through the discharge circuit and back to brush 27.

From the circuits traced, it consequently follows that battery 11 is receiving the maXi mum, and battery 14 the minimum drain. For an ethcient operation of the system, all of the cells in the battery should be operated apn'oximately uniformly throughout, and consequently battery 11 should be given the min imum drain in the next or second position, and batteries 12, 13 and 14 should each take on an additional discharge circuit. In position 3, battery 12 should receive the minimum drain and each of the remaining batteries should take on an additional discharge circuit. In position 4, battery 13 should receive the minimum drain andeach of the remaining batteries should take on an additional discharge circuit. After a complete revolution of this character, all the individual cells in the complete battery will have received an approximately equal discharge. The circuit shows the manner in which the battery connections are shifted to accomplish this purpose. Thus in position 2, the various discharge circuits may be traced as follows: In this position, battery 11 carries the minimum load as it feeds but one discharge circuit. This eircuit is traceable from brush 24 to collecting bar 17, contact bar 37, wire 46 to contact bars 37, lower brush 5, battery 11, upper brush 5, contact bar 36, wire 47, contact bars 35 and 36", wire 48,

contact bars 35 and 36', wire 49, contact upper brush 6 to contact bars 30, wire 40, collecting bar 21, brush 28, through the discharge circuit and back to brush 24. Battery 14 is contained in the discharge circuit just traced and likewise in a second circuit traceable from brush 25, collecting bar 18, contact bar 35, lower brush 8, battery 14, upper brush 8, contact bars 34 and 33, lower brush 7, battery 13, upper brush 7, contact bars 32 and 31, lower brush 6, battery 12, upper brush 6, contact bars 30', wire 40, collecting bar 21, brush 28, through the discharge circuit and back to brush 25. Battery 13 is contained in the two circuits traced and likewise in a third discharge circuit traceable from brush 26, through collecting bar 19, contact bar 33, wire 41, contact bars 34 and 33, lower brush 7 bat tery 13, upper brush 7, contact bars 32 and 31, lower brush 6, battery 12, upper brush 6, contact bars 30, wire 40, collecting bar 21, brush 28, through the discharge circuit and back to brush 26. Battery 12 is contained in the three circuits traced, and also in a fourth discharge circuit traceable from brush 27, collecting bar 20, contact bar 31", wire 43, contact bars 32 and 31", wire 44, contact bars 32 and 31, lower brush 6, battery 12, upper brush 6, contact bars 30, wire 40, 001- lecting bar 21, brush 28, through the dis charge circuit and back to brush 27.

The circuit connections for positions 3 and 4 are sufiiciently similar to position 2 to be obvious, and hence do not require a detailed description or a minute tracing of the circuit.

It will be observed that the contact bar locations are changed in the various positions 1, 2, 3 and 4 so that the circuit of maximum drain is always interrupted last and the others in the inverse order of their discharge current. Thus in position 2, battery 11 is interrupted first, battery 14 second, battery 13 third and battery 12 last. Like results are obtained in positions 3 and 4, which will be obvious from the circuit drawing.

The switching device shown may be considerably changed or varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and hence I do not herein specifically limit myself to the exact detailed construction and arrangement of parts. The current sources are shown as batteries but obviously any type of current generator can be used.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toobtain by Letters Patent is:

1. In a controlling system, a plurality of separate current sources, brushes connected thereto, a plurality of collecting bars, a plurality of movable contact members fixed with relation to one another and electrically connected to said collecting bars, the arrangement or" said brushes and contact members being such that the movement of said contact members with respect to said brushes completes in rapid succession conducting paths from said sources to said collecting bars.

2. In a controlling system, the combination with a plurality of separate current sources, of brushes connected thereto, a plurality of collecting bars, a plurality of movable contact members or bars fixed with relation to one another and electrically connected to said collecting bars, the arrangement of said brushes and contact members being such that the movement of said contact members with respect to said brushes interrupts in rapid succession conducting paths from said sources to said collecting bars.

3. In a switching system, the combination with a plurality of separate sources of current, of a corresponding number of switch positions, a plurality of collecting bars, brushes connected to said current sources, a plurality of contact members of equal numher in each of said switch positions fixed with relation to one another and connected to said collecting bars, and so placed that the movement of said contact members with respect to said brushes completes in rapid succession conducting paths from said sources to said collecting bars, the arrangement of said current sources being varied in each of said switch positions to regulate the total drain on the current sources.

4. In combination, a plurality of separate current sources supplying substantially the same voltage, a plurality of circuits to be supplied with different voltages, and a controller comprising a plurality of brushes connected to said current sources, and relatively movable contact members cooperating with said brushes, the length and arrangement of the relatively movable contact members being such that the sources are successively connected to and successively disconnected from the circuits to be supplied.

5. In combination, a plurality of separate current sources supplying substantially the same voltage, a plurality of circuits to be supplied with different voltages, and a c011- troller comprising a plurality of switch po sitions equal to the number of current sources, a plurality of brushes connected to said current sources and relatively movable contact members of equal number in each of said switch positions cooperating with said brushes, the length and arrangement of the relatively movable contact members being such that the sources are successively connected to and successively disconnected from my name this 8th day of November A. D.,

the circuits to be supplied, and the arrange- 1913.

ment of said sources are varied in each of JOSEPH P. JULEY.

said switch positions to regulate the total 5 drain on the current sources.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe Witnesses NANON E. TUTHILL, MURRAY V. OONATY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

